Colosseum
A short film featuring Russell Bierke, and the O’Neill Europe team scoring an epic session at Riley’s
There are not many waves that are known as much for their body count as anything else. Riley’s is one of them. If there's ever a list of waves that don't want to be ridden then Riley’s has got to be top three. A barely covered ledge, that focuses a horrifically thick lip that simply defies nature. It's one of those sights that any normal surfer would and just look at and say, 'Nope…No Way! Whilst backing away slowly. It's an aquatic horror show waiting to happen. For the most part, it just doesn’t look surfable.Be this the case, if you can chip into the right one, you're guaranteed a tube of rare girth. Coming out the other end is a whole other matter. If you can negotiate the takeoff, survive the foam ball nipping at your tail and the inevitable cannon blast of spit, then you might just make it out. Just be careful to not get drained into the deadly close out just feet across the channel.
The whole concept of the trip was to get young (yep, he's only 19, even though it seems he’s been around for years) Aussie Russell Bierke, over to Ireland and to surf with some of the local crew and European team. To explore the wave rich Emerald Isle and to sample what I am sure will lead Russ back to time his next visits with some epic swells.
